4 Things You Must Do to Protect Your Roof This Winter

/in /by

Protect Your Roof This Winter

Winter weather can be tough on your roof. Snow, ice, and harsh winds all can wreck havoc on your shingles and flashing, causing major problems for you and your family. To protect from expensive repairs mid-winter, take these 4 steps to protect your roof before the cold weather hits:

Clean your gutters

Clogged gutters and downspouts can harbor moisture, causing frozen water to expand and damage gutters. Cracked, sagging gutters can cause damage not only from pulling away from the rest of your roof, but also when the ice begins to thaw in the spring. Water that cannot properly drain can puddle on your roof or drain directly onto your foundation, leading to long-term, expensive damage if it isn’t remedied quickly.

Get up on a ladder with your trusty trowel and bucket and clear all the leaves, sticks, and other debris that have collected in your gutters since spring. Lug a hose up there, too, and run some water through the gutters to check for leaks and to be sure your downspouts are funneling water properly. If you feel uncomfortable performing this task, a handyman or other outdoor home professional should be able to make quick work of the job.

Check your roof ventilation

Warm air inside your home from ovens, bathrooms, and the general use of your furnace meets with cold outside air at your roof line. If your roof doesn’t have proper ventilation for the inner warm air, a difference of temperatures will be created and can cause snow and ice to melt, then re-freeze, forming an ice dam. To avoid this problem, you must keep your roof line as cool as possible.

While you’re up on the roof, make sure you have vents capable of handling the heat from your oven, your clothes dryer, and all bathrooms. If you have vents already, make sure they’re clear and in proper working condition. If you discover you don’t have adequate ventilation, contact a home professional before winter really sets in.

Insulate your attic

Much like improper roof ventilation, inadequate attic insulation easily creates a temperature differential on your roof, which can create ice dams. Ice dams can cause serious damage to your shingles, roof joists, and drywall inside your home, as water backs up onto your roof and pools or leaks inside.

Get up in your attic and check that it’s properly insulated. If you don’t have any insulation, or inadequate insulation, get some installed as soon as possible. For existing insulation, check that there are no holes or missing sections, which can cause drafts. Inspect around windows and vents to make sure the seals around them are intact and sufficient.

Trim your trees

Branches or other vegetation that hang over the roof can be magnets for collected snow and ice during winter months. If the plant is weak, or you have particularly heavy snow or ice accumulation, this can lead to branches breaking off and falling on your roof. This can cause pierced shingles, broken gutters, or other damage to your home and roof.

Before the winter weather hits, take a pair of shears or a chainsaw and trim off any branches that hang over your roof or gutters. If you don’t feel comfortable getting up that high, or you don’t know how to properly trim your trees, contact a tree maintenance or outdoor home professional for help.

Expert Exterior Upgrades in Central Maryland

At Select Home Exteriors, we offer more than 15 years of experience with roofing repairs and replacement. Contact us today for your free estimate!

Home Siding – Identifying 5 Major Types

/in /by

popular siding materials
When purchasing a new home, buyers want to know what type of siding is installed. While most realtors will have that information readily available, the type of siding on a home is sometimes unknown. We’ve collected the 5 most common types of exterior siding and ways to identify them to make your next home purchase a little easier.

Vinyl

The most common type of residential siding in America today, this durable, lightweight material comes in a wide range of colors and patterns. Vinyl siding snaps onto a track that is nailed into the exterior of the home. It is a fairly easy material to identify, as it feels like plastic and gives relatively easily when pushed. Vinyl siding requires little upkeep, usually just occasional washing. Repairing vinyl siding can be a challenge, as fading can make it difficult to find a suitable color match.

Stucco and Synthetic Stucco

True stucco siding is a mixture of cement and sand, water, and lime which is installed directly onto the outer walls of a home. It feels rough and solid, and can be tinted or painted. Stucco also sounds solid if it is knocked on. Synthetic stucco has the same look, from afar, of real stucco, but sounds hollow when knocked on. Naturally fire-resistant and sound-dampening, true stucco is incredibly durable, lasting 50 years or more.

Wood

Wood siding comes in multiple grains and constructions, from full planks to individual tiles. When stained, wood siding is very easy to pick out because the knots and other imperfections in the individual pieces are visible. Though there is synthetic wood siding on the market, synthetic wood cannot emulate the feel of real wood. Wood requires the most upkeep of siding materials, as it must be painted or sealed and protected against moisture to avoid rotting.

Aluminum

Aluminum was once one of the most popular siding materials on the market, and still is a major choice for commercial and industrial buildings. It can be painted and does come in a range of colors, sometimes looking very similar to vinyl siding. However, aluminum dents more easily and will have a metallic sound when knocked on. Despite easy denting, aluminum siding can last up to 50 years if cared for properly, and some aluminum siding even can be recycled.

Fiber-Cement

Manufactured to replace the once-popular asbestos siding, fiber-cement siding has increased in popularity in recent years. It comes in a variety of shapes, patterns, and colors, and is used for everything from siding to soffit material. It can have a similar look and feel to vinyl siding, but because it is created using a mixture of sand, cement, and cellulose fibers, it has a more solid feel and is more durable. Fiber-cement siding is very heavy due to its construction, but it is among the most versatile materials, performing well in areas with high humidity, above-average rainfall, or large temperature fluctuations.

Knowing what type of siding your home has is a crucial part of any home-buying decision. Armed with the information in this article, you can easily determine the differences between most popular siding materials. Contact the professionals at Select Home Exteriors for help learning about the maintenance, repair, and care of your new home’s siding.